


Octagonal Drumbeat

by StevetheIcecube



Series: Hearing the Drums [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (Academy Era) - Fandom
Genre: AU, Cute, Gen, Promises, They kinda murdered someone, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 11:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1263925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StevetheIcecube/pseuds/StevetheIcecube
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Vortex wants darkness and children, and the night before initiation two initiates watch a body burn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Octagonal Drumbeat

The Vortex wanted darkness. She was tired of dusty, boring Time Lords. The chances she had to take any of the Gallifreyans was when they stood their children in front of her. But even then, at a young age, their heads had started to lose the thirst for adventure, but they were not yet old enough to learn of darkness.

She needed to have at least one dark mind to feast on, or she would not be wild and dangerous any longer. And the Time Lords knew this. They knew that if they let her take what she wanted they could get hurt. They called her a parasite, but all she would be doing was setting a child or two free. Maybe it would make them slaves to instinct, slaves to her, but it was setting them free from the constraints of their minds and their society's cruel severing of imagination.

She wanted darkness. And she could sense it coming closer.

\---------------

The sky was dark amber as Torvic's body burnt. Theta shivered in realization of what he had done, but he didn't feel any regret for it. Koschei was shivering in fear and from the cold next to him, and Theta put an arm round his friend. "He deserved it." He whispered. "If I hadn't done that, you'd be dead, Kosch."

"Don't remind me." Koschei mumbled. "Do you think they'll link it to us?"

"No way." Theta assured him. "His parents don't even know that he left the house, and the last trace of him was in the river where...you know where. I washed the rock and the traces of you and I aren't discernable yet because we aren't registered anywhere except our Houses. By tomorrow evening, all our records will be changed because of the radiation from the Vortex. This is possibly the most convenient night of our lives to kill anyone."

Koschei smiled. "Promise that we'll never stop being friends, Thete."

"I promise. No matter what I have to do."

\----------------

Helicoerner was worried. The Vortex always got a little restless on these days, it was initiation day, and it was her best chance to feed on whatever it was she fed on, darkness of thoughts or something like that. But she was unusually restless today. He was worried for the safety of the initiates that were being tested today. Nearly one hundred of them in all, and if any one of them had dark enough thoughts then that would be it for them. Helicoerner wasn't sure what actually happened to those who had those dark thoughts. Maybe they died, or maybe they went insane. The days when the Vortex was not kept in check were a long time ago.

\--------------

Theta bit his lib nervously. "Kosch, I'm really scared. I can hear it from here."

"So can I. It's fine, Thete." Koschei soothed. "All you have to do is stand in front of the Vortex and stare at it for a bit, and everything will be fine. You get the imprint of your DNA changed by the radiation and then I go up a while after, the same happens and everything is great. We get to study and be friends and then we get to travel the Universe. All you have to do is stand there."

"Promise nothing will change?"

"Nothing is going to change, Thete."

\-------------

Theta stared into the Vortex. He was trembling. It was terrifying.

And then something happened. A tiny thrumming started in the back of his head and he relaxed. It was fine. The Vortex was safe, friendly, even. She was promising him the stars to play in forever.

\------------------

When Koschei came through after looking into the Vortex, he headed straight to Theta. "What did you think? Were you scared when you looked into her?"

"No." Theta said. "I was scared until...um..." He looked around and lowered his voice before continuing. "She comforted me. And she promised me the stars!"

Koschei hugged his friend. "I thought that was just me."

The thrumming continued in both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I might continue this...


End file.
